Determination of the relationships between Brinell and Janka hardness of eastern beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky)

Abstract

In this study, the hardnesses (Brinell and Janka) and air-dry densities of eastern beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) grown in Kahramanmaras forests located in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey were determined. The relationships between the two hardness methods for all three wood sections (cross, radial, and tangential) were studied using linear regression methods. The results showed that the mean values of Janka and Brinell hardnesses of the specimens ranged from 4,810 N to 6,903 N and from 2.8 to 5.8, respectively. In addition, regardless of the sections of the Wood Specimens, almost all the relationships between Brinell and Janka hardnesses determined for all three sections of the wood specimens were significant. The strongest linear relationship between Brinell and Janka hardnesses was found for the total of the three sections. Through these findings, the Janka hardness of the wood specimens of eastern beech species could be converted into Brinell hardness and vice versa.